City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 2.7% higher than in Chicago, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Chicago, IL would need about $102,700 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $1,581 in Chicago, IL. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 26% in Chicago, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $265 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Chicago, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.3% moving from Chicago, IL to Riverside, CA ($118,984 → $124,085), while prices change by +2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.5% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,748 in Riverside | $97,325 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$265/yr.
55 Fair offer
Riverside, CA → Chicago, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$265/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Riverside, CA | Real change, Chicago → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $71,957 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $87,061 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $104,349 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $124,085 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $146,632 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $98,520 | $95,885 (+22.3%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $133,270 | $129,705 (−3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $83,920 | $81,675 (−0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $133,940 | $130,358 (+29.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.